Most ordinary answering machines are limited in function. They record a message and play it back at a later date. The advent of more sophisticated telephone network services in buildings and in the general population, as well as more sophisticated cable and telephone systems, allows greater potential for recording information, telephone messages and prompts transmitted into a recording unit from a communication channel operatively connected to a telephone network or cable system.
It has been proposed to have a premises recording unit which records sophisticated information such as caller identification, the time of call, downloaded video data, billing and credit information, interactive multimedia and other data. Such unit would separate the information and classify the main parts until analyzed later, such as on playback from the recording unit. It has also be proposed that some of the information such as the identification of the caller, the time of the call, and other pertinent information would be displayed on a video display such as a television set.
It would be advantageous if such proposed units were expandable so that the unit could be adapted to different services offered on a network. The premises recording unit preferably would have a premises phone operatively connected thereto so that the premises phone also would control various add-on functions of the unit. With such adaptability, the premises recording unit would have many capabilities for storing, retrieving, and displays on a monitor, such as a television set, whole or partial sections of information.
It would also be desirable if such a unit could also control other appliances within the premises so that the unit not only controls network functions in the premises phone, but also controlled other appliances contained within a premises, such as coffee pots, lights, and other appliances. A busy traveller coming in after a trip, or seated at a desk could quickly retrieve desired messages, as well as control various appliances within the home such as lights, coffee pots, toasters, stereos, security systems, thermostats and locks.